In this variation of "Mutiny on the Bounty", members of the French Foreign Legion face a brutal commander and take matters into their own hands. The commander is one of the most vile military men on screen, making Captains Blight and Queeg (of the later "The Caine Mutiny") pale in comparison to his evil. You truly want to see this man get exactly what he deserves.
An engrossing drama, it sustains interest throughout, although several details of the plot are hard to swallow, especially the fact that the other officers under the commander don't take steps until the end to expose his revolting nefariousness. Paul Kelly plays the legionnaire who leads the rebellion, but it is ironic to see that even after the mutiny takes place, those under him are still dissatisfied and want to mutiny against him as well!
A minor subplot concerns the girlfriend of one of the legionaries who manages to crash a plane in the desert while searching for him (sort of like "Lost Horizon") which ends up causing more brutality that leads to the eventual mutiny of commander C. Henry Gordon. Excellent photography, editing and lighting design help this rise above the usual standard of "B" movies, and the presence of one black actor among the men is a nice touch as well, although there is a slight stereotyping of his being constantly cheerful while the others are justifiably angry.
An engrossing drama, it sustains interest throughout, although several details of the plot are hard to swallow, especially the fact that the other officers under the commander don't take steps until the end to expose his revolting nefariousness. Paul Kelly plays the legionnaire who leads the rebellion, but it is ironic to see that even after the mutiny takes place, those under him are still dissatisfied and want to mutiny against him as well!
A minor subplot concerns the girlfriend of one of the legionaries who manages to crash a plane in the desert while searching for him (sort of like "Lost Horizon") which ends up causing more brutality that leads to the eventual mutiny of commander C. Henry Gordon. Excellent photography, editing and lighting design help this rise above the usual standard of "B" movies, and the presence of one black actor among the men is a nice touch as well, although there is a slight stereotyping of his being constantly cheerful while the others are justifiably angry.